Fence



(No Model.)

* E. SMITH.

FENCE.

Patented May 2,1882.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOMER SMITH, OF KIRKSVILLE, MISSOURI.

FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 257,397, dated May 2, 1882.

' Application filed December 19, 188i. (Nomodeh) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOMER SMITH, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Kirksville, in the county of Adair and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fences; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification, and in which-- Figure 1 represents a side elevation, showing the fence as completed,'when using a wire (either smooth or barbed) at the top and diagonal suspending-wires. Fig. 2 represents securing double staple before adjusting the same to the pickets and wires. Fig. 3 represents securing double staple after the same is placed through the pickets and the ends passed around the wires and driven into the wood of said pickets. Fig. 4 represents the short wire be fore the same is placed through and fastened by the securing double staple.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents the posts of a panel of fence, B the supporting-wires, C the securing double staple, D the short wires, E the diagonal suspendingwires, F the smooth or barbed wire,,and G the pickets.

In building the fence, when two supportingwires are used at each end of the picket the picket G is placed between the supportingwires B and the securing-staple O, (which is first bent at one end,) placed through the picket in such a mannerthat the staplealread y formed on one end passes around and secures one of the wires to the picket. The other end of the staplais then bent over the wire 011 the opposite side and driven into the picket, which makes a double staple, which secures both of the wires to the picket. The other end of the picket is fastened in like manner.

If it is desirable to use only one wire at either or both ends of the pickets, one of the wires B only is used, and short pieces of wire are placed on the opposite side of the picket, and one end of the securing-staple bent over the piece of wire and driven into the picket, as before described. When the picket is made of soft wood or the wood is partly decayed a single staple is easily drawn from the picket; whereas if made as described, there being a wire upon both sides of the pickets, the staple is firmly held upon either side and cannot be drawn out of the picket withoutstraightening the staple atone end. Another advantage the double staple has over a single staple or staples is it can be more firmly drawn around the wires, thereby lessening the danger of the pickets getting displaced either by the breaking of a part of the wires or from any other cause.

If desirable, the ends of the staple can both be turned the same way, which will bring the wires on either side of the picket exactly opposite each other; or the ends can he turned in opposite directions, and by reversing the staple in each alternate picket the wires can be made to run in a crooked or zigzag manner, which may also assist the staples in holding the pickets in their proper place upon the wires.

To prevent the fence from sagging i attach a wire to the fence at some point toward the center of the panel, running the same diagonally over or near the top of the post, where it is fastened, then running downward in like manner to the next panel, is fastened thereto.

By using a wire in this manner the posts may be set farther apart, as the suspending- Wires materially help to support and strengthen the fence.

When using pickets reaching from the top of the posts downward as far as desirable the diagonal wire used, as shown in the drawings, suspends the fence any desired distance from the ground.

Having described the construction of the fence, what I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the pickets and 1 horizontal wires, of the securing double sta- 

